Bilstein 5150 question

Yes, I searched...

Is anyone else having a problem with the long bodies in teh 5150's? I did all of the measuring and calculations. I am running almost 6" of lift and 33's on my 2000. The measuring came out to run 12" shocks in the rear (BF5-A187-H1) and 10" shocks in the front (BF5-A196-H1). I am running BPE's on both as well as the upper shock adapter piece in the top on the front. I also have relocated shock mounts on a rear D44. The mounts are up about 1.5".

The 5150's I got have the 255/70 valving. The shocks have very little piston/shaft showing, about 2.5" to 3" max. I love the ride, but the rear "bottom out" when I go over a small speed bump or curb. I was unable to get the front to bottom out here are around the house, but I am sure that there is not enough up travel for neither the front nor the rear.

I was thinking of maybe swapping the 12" out for another set of 10"s, but I that will only give me about another 1" of shaft.

I am bumpstopped, but if increase the bumpstop more, that is less articulation. The distance from my bumpstop plate and the bumpstop in the rear is about 4". On the front, I have ACOS, and the distance from bumpstop to rubber snubbber is about 4.25". these measurements are static on level ground without the rubber bumpstops being compressed at all.

It just seems that the valve bodies on the shocks are really long???

Any help or advise is appreciated.

yes they are long i'm at 5 inches all around and the compression really isn't there to the extent that standard shocks have. i have the front set up with two hockey pucks and the rear lines up perfectly with factory bumps. for me compression is not important because there isn't much to tuck a 33 (the tire that i built the jeep for) on 5 inches but those shocks have more than enough drop to make my jeep a very effective suspension based rig.


how did you measure for them? did you fully cycle the suspension from bump to full drop to get the compressed and extended length you needed?


oh BTW i'll check the PN's on mine cuz they are workin really well for me

well I will add all I know on the bilstiens and maybe it will help, maybe it wont..

I sit at somewhere between 6.5 and 7" in the front. With all the stock mounting locations, I found that to get a bilstien in there that I would be happy with (on paper/therory), with the 1.1" of loss of travel due to upper adaptors, the only shock I found by them was the 7100 short body 12", that would work for me.

I can only imagine what a standard body 12" with the upper adaptors on only 5" of lift or even 6" would be like. If its a short arm lift I would say you would be ok with them with the right front spring that allows enough droop withOUT unseating the spring. In a short arm the arch the axle follows at about 9" of droop can be bad, expecially for front drive line, if not accounted for. Of course thats under full droop and that should never happen to a cherokee unless your out desert racing or get very high centered.

In any case if it were me I would check in to returning / exchanging them for 7100 short body's.... Much better shock with much better fitment for that application IMO..

shortxjdoug said:

yes they are long i'm at 5 inches all around and the compression really isn't there to the extent that standard shocks have. i have the front set up with two hockey pucks and the rear lines up perfectly with factory bumps. for me compression is not important because there isn't much to tuck a 33 (the tire that i built the jeep for) on 5 inches but those shocks have more than enough drop to make my jeep a very effective suspension based rig.


how did you measure for them? did you fully cycle the suspension from bump to full drop to get the compressed and extended length you needed?


oh BTW i'll check the PN's on mine cuz they are workin really well for me

Click to expand...

Thanks. What is the best way to figure out the length of shock I need? I have heard several different ways to find out. Evidently the one I used is not correct. I don't even remember the "formula". I remember measuring the distance from the bumpstop (rubber) to the bumpstop plate (base), then shock mount to shock mount and doing some subtracting.

BTW, the lift is an RE 4.5" short arm with drop brackets, if it matters.

Thanks

rpraterxj said:

Thanks. What is the best way to figure out the length of shock I need? I have heard several different ways to find out. Evidently the one I used is not correct. I don't even remember the "formula". I remember measuring the distance from the bumpstop (rubber) to the bumpstop plate (base), then shock mount to shock mount and doing some subtracting.

BTW, the lift is an RE 4.5" short arm with drop brackets, if it matters.

Thanks

Click to expand...

The BEST way is to flex the suspension and measure. Find a sock that is as close as possible for your extended and compressed lengths. Mine, with about 5 inches of lift is 26 extended and 14 compressed. (I think, that's just off the top of my head.)

Jeep914x4 said:

The BEST way is to flex the suspension and measure. Find a sock that is as close as possible for your extended and compressed lengths. Mine, with about 5 inches of lift is 26 extended and 14 compressed. (I think, that's just off the top of my head.)

Click to expand...

At 6.5"ish of lift I am at a 18" compressed and turned out to be a 30" ext. shock. normal ride is at 23.5"ish. So that allows 5.5" compression and 6.5" extension. To me thats prefect. I have bump stops set to contact 1" before full compression, making max compression of the shock at about 1/4" short of max.

I have a set of 5150s that have less than 10k miles on them and they look new that I will take $130 for shipped!

Racing4funn said:

I have a set of 5150s that have less than 10k miles on them and they look new that I will take $130 for shipped!

Click to expand...

:spam:

:dunno:

Racing4funn said:

I have a set of 5150s that have less than 10k miles on them and they look new that I will take $130 for shipped!

Click to expand...

Thanks, but wrong area to post something for sale.

Please read my post!!! I am looking for advise, not a sale. I already have the shocks.

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/bst_5150.cfm
Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the 192228 stud adapters. This elimates having to use the shock adapters and mounts the shocks like stock, gaining you the 1.25" of up travel that the adapters take away.

jeepme said:

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/bst_5150.cfm
Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the 192228 stud adapters. This elimates having to use the shock adapters and mounts the shocks like stock, gaining you the 1.25" of up travel that the adapters take away.

Click to expand...

Cool find, I never saw that before. SO the upper threaded eye unthreads from the body and this threads in its place?

jeepme said:

http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/bst_5150.cfm
Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the 192228 stud adapters. This elimates having to use the shock adapters and mounts the shocks like stock, gaining you the 1.25" of up travel that the adapters take away.

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. I may have to look into these. i really would like to use the 5150's.

rpraterxj said:

Thanks. What is the best way to figure out the length of shock I need? I have heard several different ways to find out. Evidently the one I used is not correct. I don't even remember the "formula". I remember measuring the distance from the bumpstop (rubber) to the bumpstop plate (base), then shock mount to shock mount and doing some subtracting.

BTW, the lift is an RE 4.5" short arm with drop brackets, if it matters.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Has it turned into rocket science recently?

Unbolt all your shocks. Drive your junk to flex ramp. Flex suspension front & rear and measure for length.

This is the ONLY right way to do it. hasta

vintagespeed said:

Has it turned into rocket science recently?

Unbolt all your shocks. Drive your junk to flex ramp. Flex suspension front & rear and measure for length.

This is the ONLY right way to do it. hasta

Click to expand...

I beg to differ and I am sure others would also..

There are many ways.. I believe that the best method for a link setup (front of XJ) is to remove both the spring and the shock. While supporting the rig from the frame / unibody, lift axle to bump stop. Measure the mounting centers of top to bottom. Then deduct 1" (if you have solid rubber bump stops) from the total, and thats your compressed! Dont trip on the extended as there is NOTHING you can do about that length, just get the longest length with the Right comressed length.

For leaf set ups I would agree to a ramp though, or depending on your shock placement a simple bump stop contact areas could work.

ROBERTK said:

Cool find, I never saw that before. SO the upper threaded eye unthreads from the body and this threads in its place?

Click to expand...

Yes, thats exactly how it works.

ROBERTK said:

I beg to differ and I am sure others would also..

There are many ways.. I believe that the best method for a link setup (front of XJ) is to remove both the spring and the shock. While supporting the rig from the frame / unibody, lift axle to bump stop. Measure the mounting centers of top to bottom. Then deduct 1" (if you have solid rubber bump stops) from the total, and thats your compressed! Dont trip on the extended as there is NOTHING you can do about that length, just get the longest length with the Right comressed length.

For leaf set ups I would agree to a ramp though, or depending on your shock placement a simple bump stop contact areas could work.

Click to expand...

If your springs compress fully. Yeah you can rip your front end apart & cycle it, that's how I do it when I build a front suspension, but most guys just want to measure for shocks not spend all night in the garage pulling & replacing coils, tie-rod, trackbar & etc. (and dont say you dont need to remove all that stuff cause you know what i'm talking about.)

Unbolt the shocks, DRIVE it to the ramp (or lift) flex it, measure, install new shocks. jeez.

-jb

vintagespeed said:

If your springs compress fully. Yeah you can rip your front end apart & cycle it, that's how I do it when I build a front suspension, but most guys just want to measure for shocks not spend all night in the garage pulling & replacing coils, tie-rod, trackbar & etc. (and dont say you dont need to remove all that stuff cause you know what i'm talking about.)

Unbolt the shocks, DRIVE it to the ramp (or lift) flex it, measure, install new shocks. jeez.

-jb

Click to expand...

X2

I have 6.5" RK coils and I run the 10" travel 5150's with 35's fully stuffed.

vintagespeed said:

Unbolt the shocks, DRIVE it to the ramp (or lift) flex it, measure, install new shocks. jeez.

Click to expand...

What ramp (or lift)? Will you deliver one to my driveway? I can't DRIVE it any further than that until I have some shocks on it.

ya know I dont understand all this need for shocks and such these days.

Shocks are Way Overrated!

JonnyK said:

What ramp (or lift)? Will you deliver one to my driveway? I can't DRIVE it any further than that until I have some shocks on it.

Click to expand...

Make do with what you have. It seems you're in over your head at this point.